While an Olympic team doesn't operate exactly like a business,
there are some lessons business owners can glean from these
social media mistakes and apply to their own marketing efforts.
Here are three tips from social media expert Scott Stratten,
author and founder of Ontario-based marketing consultancy
Un-Marketing.

1. Make it known to employees that social media is not to be
taken lightly.
That's not say no one can have fun with social media. But owners
and their employees should be aware that what they socialize --
either from the company or, if applicable, from their personal
accounts -- is a reflection on your brand.

Stratten suggests creating a list of social media do's and don'ts
for employees. "Just realizing that they can change the brand
perception with as little as 140 characters will usually make
employees think before they tweet," he says. Show both brand
home-runs and strike-outs to give employees a frame of
reference.

2. Have a human-resources plan for dealing with social
media mistakes.
The offending Olympic athletes were promptly expelled from
competing for their social media transgressions. A business owner
might not fire an employee for a minor misstep on social media,
but should know what qualifies as a major mistake and the
consequences employees could face if they make one.

Like many management issues, problems should be handled on a
case-by-case basis, Stratten says. "Tweeting something mildly
insensitive can be one thing, but being [undeniably offensive] is
another," he says. Any guidelines in place for governing employee
interactions between co-workers or customers should be extended
to the virtual world.

3. Act fast to repair the situation
online.
Don't wait too long before apologizing or addressing the issue
online after the mistake is made. Reaction to social media
fallout is measured in hours, not days or weeks, Stratten says.

"[A misstep] needs to be viewed as an opportunity to come out on
top, instead of a chance to hide behind a press release," he
says. "You can’t change the fact that your brand is in the
spotlight, but you can control how you react."

Own up to any problem, show remorse and tell everyone what you
plan to do or have done. "People are forgiving for the most part,
as long as you do it swiftly and authentically," he says.